Advanced English Conversation: Vocabulary, Phrasal Verb, Pronunciation

Vanessa: Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com.  

Today. I have something super special  to share with you. Let's talk about it. 

I'm going to share with you a real English  conversation. Are you married? Have you ever  

been to a wedding before? Have you ever been to  an American wedding? Well, today you are going  

to meet a wedding coordinator named Alexandra who  works at this beautiful location in my city. Plus,  

you'll hear all the secrets about what it's  like to get married in the US. Alexandra is  

passionate about her job. And I'm sure there is  something you are also passionate about. So, this  

is a good chance to listen to the way we speak  and to imitate this real English conversation. 

During our conversation, you will see some  subtitles down here for vocabulary, phrasal verbs  

and pronunciation. After the conversation, you  will see a vocabulary lesson with my husband, Dan,  

and I explaining the most important vocabulary  words. So, you don't waste your time studying  

unimportant words. You can ingrain these words  in your memory. Listening to our conversation  

is great. But the vocabulary lesson, we'll  take it one step further to help you remember  

these words longer. Then after the vocabulary  lesson, you will have a phrasal verb lesson  

so that you can easily include these phrasal  verbs in your daily conversation. And finally,  

we'll practice some real American English  pronunciation so that you can speak clearly  

and understandably. And you can always click CC  to view the full subtitles for today's lesson. 

To help you remember everything that you are about  to learn, I have created this free PDF worksheet  

for you with all of today's vocabulary,  definition, sample sentences, phrasal verbs,  

pronunciation, pronunciation tips. There  is so much in this free worksheet. You can  

click on the link in the description to  download it today. It is my gift to you.  

I hope that it will be useful for you. If you enjoy today's lesson with Alexandra,  

I invite you to join me in the Fearless Fluency  Club where you will finally be able to speak real  

English confidently. Course member, Ildiko, said,  "This course is fantastic. I like the most that  

you teach us real English." Not classroom English,  real English spoken by real English speakers.  

Would you like to take your English to the  next level? Today, Friday, September 2nd,  

until Wednesday, September 7th, you will have  the chance to speak real English and save a lot  

of money because it is my birthday on Sunday. I  have a special sale on the Fearless Fluency Club,  

only one or two times per year. So, make sure  you click on the link in the description to  

join me and thousands of other motivated  English learners and save a hundred dollars. 

Elaine from Brazil said that she joined the  course to improve her English, but then something  

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if you join before September 7th, you can  save $100, a great deal for my birthday. 

Let's test if the Fearless Fluency Club  can help you to improve your English.  

The course uses the conversation breakdown  method, which will help you to catch the  

real meaning of conversations. You'll  understand fast native pronunciation,  

and be able to use these words, phrases and  pronunciations in your own conversations.  

Today's lesson is just a short sample of the whole  course. In the whole course, you will get five  

modules and this is only half of one module. So,  let's test out the conversation breakdown method  

with the conversation with wedding  coordinator, Alexandra. Let's go. 

Hi, everyone. I'm here with Alexandra. And we're  going to be talking about your interesting job,  

which apparently takes off a lot of time.  So, if someone asks what do you do? What  

would you tell them? Alexandra: 

I am a wedding planner. Vanessa: 

And how did you get into that? Because that's  not something you'd probably go to college for. 

Alexandra: I actually went to college for fine arts. 

Vanessa: Okay. 

Alexandra: I was very into ceramics  

and glass blowing, moved to Asheville,  North Carolina to pursue that passion.  

Throughout college, I was also working in  bakeries as my income, my side job. So,  

baking a cake is very much like ceramics.  You make something. You sculpt something.  

You put it in an oven. You bake it. It  comes out. You glaze it or you ice it. 

Vanessa: And you get to eat one and  

you get to look at the other- Alexandra: 

Correct. Vanessa: 

... or use it. Alexandra: 

Yes. So, ceramics and baking, I saw the  connection and I kind of went down that path  

at the same time. Once I graduated college, there  was being a starving artist or making cakes.  

And wedding cakes can be very profitable. Vanessa: 

Oh, sure. Alexandra: 

So, I started being a baker specifically  in wedding cakes and slowly got into  

wedding planning. And I've been doing the  wedding planning for about five years now. 

Vanessa: Five years? So,  

you've had a lot of couples come through. Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

Lots of experiences. I'm curious when you  went and said, okay, I want to specify  

in wedding cakes. Were you working at a bakery  and you kind of just started doing the cakes, the  

wedding cakes that came to them, or did you kind  of freelance in that way and have people find you? 

Alexandra: So, at first, I  

was working at one small cake company here. And I  worked for this one company for about four years.  

It was a very fun time baking. You get  up and you're in the shop by 5:00 AM. 

Vanessa: Wow. 

Alexandra: So, it's a lot of coffee.  

Sometimes, the occasional shot of whiskey. Vanessa: 

Sure, got to make it through. Alexandra: 

But it was a very fun time. And  bakers are fun, very fun people.  

We had a good crew and that's why we all  were there for about four years together. 

Vanessa: It's a pretty good chunk of time for one job,  

especially like a baking job. Alexandra: 

Yes. And I was doing wedding consultations and  wedding tastings with the couples that would  

come in. So, we'd give them a couple options of  cakes to try. I'd sit down. I'd discuss their  

vision that we would... Vanessa: 

Cake vision? Alexandra: 

Mm-hmm. Sometimes, it would be a tiered cake.  Sometimes, cupcake. Sometimes, a cake buffet  

where there's all different shapes and size cakes  on a long table. So, there's different flavors.  

There's a lot you can do. Vanessa: 

There's a lot of options. And I'm curious in these  situations when you're sitting down with a couple.  

Were the majority of people very specific about,  I want this, this is my vision or are they like,  

I don't know, just a cake? Alexandra: 

Probably 50, 50. Vanessa: 

Okay. So, some people had the exact idea. Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

And some people are like, it's a cake. Alexandra: 

Yes. Yeah. Vanessa: 

Okay. Was that generally the people who had a  specific vision, I'm guessing that's generally  

the bride? Alexandra: 

Usually, the bride kind of had the look  and the groom often had the flavor. 

Vanessa: Okay. Okay. I could  

imagine that. So, she's got that image in her  mind of how she wants it to look. And he's like,  

that's how I want it to taste. Alexandra: 

Mm-hmm. Vanessa: 

All right. So, that's a good combo. They're  working together to decide the best cake. And  

while you were doing that, you were in the wedding  business, like a niche in the wedding business.  

But then how did you decide to branch out of that? Alexandra: 

So, wedding planning, I was first asked by a  friend if I would help her plan her wedding. 

Vanessa: That's a big honor. 

Alexandra: And so,  

we just started planning and I knew a lot about  the wedding industry already. And having a fine  

arts degree and planning a wedding, wedding might  be the biggest piece of performance art that you  

can possibly put together. It has the floral. It  has the tablescapes, the place settings, bringing  

that all together into one piece, the dress, what  the girls are wearing, what the men are wearing. 

Vanessa: I need a little disclaimer, that for my wedding,  

I was maybe the opposite of all of this. I was  overseas for the whole year that we were engaged.  

And so, my husband and my dad basically  planned everything and just said, hey,  

do you like this? Do you like this? Sure, fine.  Whatever. I didn't have any colors or anything.  

I don't know. Maybe something about it, I didn't  always have that dream to have the perfect plan.  

So maybe, I was a little too hands off.  Maybe they would've liked if I would've been  

living in the same country, but it's really  interesting to hear the other side of it cause  

I'm sure not everyone was like me in that sense. Alexandra: 

I have couples who are very hands on and very  detail oriented. Some are very organized. Some  

are not. And then I have couples who are very,  very laid back and they don't care. They say sure  

as cheap and easy as it can be. So, you have  the extremes on either end of the spectrum. 

Vanessa: Yeah. And because you're the wedding planner,  

the people who are pretty laid back are still  thinking, I would still like someone to help me  

organize this. Alexandra: 

Yes. So, a wedding planner, there's a wedding  planner. There's also a role called the day of  

coordinator. Vanessa: 

Oh, day of coordinator,  like the day of the wedding? 

Alexandra: Yes. 

Vanessa: Okay. 

Alexandra: So, they help you maybe the month or a few weeks  

leading up to your wedding. They create a day of  timeline stating vendor arrival. When does hair  

and makeup start? Who's getting their hair and  makeup done? When does the photographer arrive?  

Where are certain photos being taken? When does  the catering arrive? How many tables are set up?  

How many seats are at each table? Vanessa: 

So, you're not the one doing that necessarily. Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

You are doing that. Alexandra: 

Yes. Yes. Vanessa: 

Okay. Alexandra: 

I can be a wedding planner or a day of  coordinator. A day of coordinator is still a  

wedding planner, just a little more condensed. Vanessa: 

Yeah. It seems like that's really specific  things right around the time of the wedding. 

Alexandra: Yes. And your planner does them. 

Vanessa: Not deciding who is getting the flowers.  

It's when is the flowers coming? Alexandra: 

Yes. Yes. Vanessa: 

Ah. Alexandra: 

When are the flowers coming? And  where do they go once they arrive? 

Vanessa: Yes. Lots of details  

that if you were getting married, you might not  want to be on the phone with everybody or trying  

to figure that out yourself. Alexandra: 

Right. Vanessa: 

I mean, I guess the people who you see are  people who have chosen a wedding planner.  

But would you say that in general, a lot of people  have a wedding planner help them plan a wedding or  

is it like 50% of people don't do that? They  just do it themselves. And 50% would hire  

someone like you. Alexandra: 

I would say the trend is leading more towards  getting either a day of coordinator or a  

full-service wedding planner. And part of  the reason is that venues are starting to  

require this. Vanessa: 

Oh, interesting. Alexandra: 

Because if the wedding and the day of events don't  go smoothly, it actually makes the venue look bad.  

When people look where to place blame or where  to say, oh, this is a mess. This is unorganized.  

Whose fault is it? They assume it's the venue's  fault. So, venues are now requiring, minimum,  

a day of coordinator. Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. So, someone to help  them also have a good reputation. 

Alexandra: Right. And some have these staff  

in house and you can hire from within the venue. Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. Alexandra: 

And some do not, and you can hire anyone you want. Vanessa: 

Okay. So, someone who would, like you, would like  a place that maybe was a little more flexible so  

that you could be the person to do that. They  don't have to hire the person from that place.  

They could hire you. Or do you  specifically work with some venues? 

Alexandra: I used to freelance. And as of last year,  

I am now under contract with one specific venue. Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. Alexandra: 

I'm their events director in general. So,  I do concerts, any type of private event,  

birthdays, anniversaries, corporate, anything you  would like. And the weddings is my biggest one.  

So, I organize all the events. And for a  wedding, you are required to have, minimum,  

a day of coordinator. You could go big and do the  full-service planner. You can either hire through  

our venue or you can outsource. And  the reason we allow you to outsource  

is also because I have a lot of friends who are in  the wedding industry and who are wedding planners.  

And so, I don't want to turn away other wedding  planners from bringing couple to our venue. 

Vanessa: Sure. You want to make sure that enough  

people are coming through and you don't want to  say no to them. So now, anyone, if they go to that  

venue and that venue says, oh, would you like to  use our in-house coordinator? That would be you. 

Alexandra: Yes. 

Vanessa: Okay, cool. Can I ask where it is or is that... 

Alexandra: It's called Weaver House. 

Vanessa: Weaver House, okay. 

Alexandra: It's about 10 minutes  

north of here in Weaverville, North Carolina.  So, Asheville's here. Weaverville is right here.  

And it's behind the bamboo fencing. Do you know  where Blue Mountain Pizza is on North Main Street? 

Vanessa: Yes. I went there last week. 

Alexandra: Right across the street is this bamboo wall. 

Vanessa: Oh, yeah. 

Alexandra: And you can't really tell what's behind. 

Vanessa: It's kind of mysterious, cool looking. 

Alexandra: We're in there. It's a very cool,  

kind of secret garden feel. Vanessa: 

Oh, yeah. I remember we're sitting on the port  to Blue Mountain Pizza thinking what is in there.  

And it looks really fun and it was raining. So,  it kind of felt mysterious fairytale-like. So,  

people can get married in there. There's concerts  in there. There's other events that go on there. 

Alexandra: Right. 

Vanessa: Oh, okay. So cool. So, if I were a bride and  

I were like, this amazing place is where I want  to get married. And I want to use the person who  

you guys offer, which is you. What would that look  like from point blank? I come in with my fiancé.  

I guess we'd come together. What would it look  like from the very beginning to work with you? 

Alexandra: So, ask you  

first and foremost, do you have a vision? Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. Alexandra: 

And I would just hear what you have to say  before I get too deep in any questions.  

Have you ever been to a wedding that you  absolutely loved? Have you ever been to  

a wedding where maybe you loved a little less?  What are your dos and don'ts okay. Are there any  

surprises I should know about?  Today, a lot of people have  

chosen family. Vanessa: 

Okay. And what does that exactly mean? Alexandra: 

So, maybe they're not very close with their  biological parents. So many things could happen. 

Vanessa: Sure. 

Alexandra: They were adopted. They had a falling out.  

There have been situations where one of  the couple's parents wasn't going to come.  

And then all of a sudden there she was and asking  me why she wasn't in the ceremony. And so... 

Vanessa: Okay. You need to know that  

that could be a possibility. Alexandra: 

Yes. Yes. And that was very early on. I  learned that lesson. So, even if they say,  

"Mom's not coming." It's very likely to show up  last minute unannounced, dressed and ready to go. 

Vanessa: It can bring some  

tension for the couple, for you, for her. Alexandra: 

Right. So, if I don't realize who this woman is,  

and she's standing there and we're  doing a rehearsal for the ceremony.  

And then she's like, excuse me. Vanessa: 

Where am I in this? Alexandra: 

So now, I know to even reference that story  and say, make sure if something of that nature  

happens, you say, PS, mom's here. Vanessa: 

Just to let you know. Alexandra: 

This is what she looks like, that lady over there. Vanessa: 

That is really clever of you to note, to add  that because a lot of people wouldn't think  

about that. [inaudible 00:17:14]. Alexandra: 

Well, a lot of times, you have to learn from  experience. So being in that moment, I learned  

to, okay, this goes on the list. Vanessa: 

Yeah. So, what did you do? Just try to  include her the way the bride wanted,  

or just go with the flow? Alexandra: 

We allowed for one of the groomsmen's brother.  One of the groomsmen was the brother of the groom.  

So, it was his mother. And we said, all right.  You'll escort mom down before the ceremony truly  

starts. So, she was like half in the ceremony. Vanessa: 

Sure. She was being escorted down, but  she wasn't on the stage or something. 

Alexandra: Right. 

Vanessa: Okay. 

Alexandra: She wasn't truly taking up much attention. 

Vanessa: You have to really  

think on your toes. I'm sure on the wedding day  in general, you have to think on your toes in many  

situations. But so, we talk about the vision  and any possible surprises that could happen,  

unknown, unexpected. I mean,  families always have drama.  

There's always something. And then what happens? Alexandra: 

Then we talk about specific categories. Flowers,  food, photography. Videography is a 50, 50.  

Bar, if any. Vanessa: 

Sure. What do people usually do for that? Alexandra: 

It depends on the venue and what the venue allows.  Some venues allow you to bring in your own. You  

have to get proper licensing and permits. Some  venues have their own liquor license, which  

in our state of North Carolina is a little tricky.  There's a liquor license wherein you're serving  

X amount of food. And you're just a regular  restaurant. If you're serving less food than  

alcohol, you're considered a private club. Vanessa: 

Oh, boy. Alexandra: 

Which comes with a lot of rules  and regulations that you have to  

work around. Vanessa: 

So, this is something that  you're having to navigate as  

the wedding planner. Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

The specifics. Alexandra: 

North Carolina is tough when it comes to bar  service and liquor and all that good stuff. 

Vanessa: Sure. So, in the venue where you're working now,  

is that an issue that you deal with a lot  or they have their own license people can  

just [inaudible 00:19:37]? Alexandra: 

We have our own license as a venue. Vanessa: 

So, maybe that could be a positive when people are  trying to decide where to go. If they want a bar,  

you guys already have that.  Okay, simple, easy-peasy. 

Alexandra: Right. Right. And we come with  

staffing and all that good stuff. Vanessa: 

Yeah. Let's get into the day of the wedding, how  that goes in the moment. Because I'm curious,  

especially at that place, now that I've seen  the bamboo mysterious wall. So, we talk about  

flowers, photography, videography, potentially.  And do you guys have people who you say, oh,  

this is who we recommend for flowers. This is who  we recommend for photography or do people bring  

that kind of stuff to you guys? Like, I like  this flower place. I like this photographer.  

How does that work? Alexandra: 

Some venues are very strict and they have a  preferred vendor list and you can only choose  

from the preferred vendor list. Our venue is newer  and we're still networking and meeting new faces.  

And one of our selling points has  been that we allow you to bring in  

almost any vendor you would like. We do have  our favorites that we will always suggest. 

Vanessa: So, people like  

suggestions too- Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

... because there's too many choices sometimes. Alexandra: 

Right. So, I've been in this area,  planning weddings for a long time.  

So, I do have great connections and friends that  I love to work with. They've been to our venue.  

I don't have to give them a tour when  they first arrive. They know me. I know  

them. And it's a great working relationship.  I really don't mind when new vendors come in. 

This past weekend, we had all new vendors, except  for catering was in house. And the floral was  

my recommendation. But the photographer  and videographer was chosen by the couple  

separately. The rental company, they hung up big,  beautiful, sweeping drapery. They had to get on  

big scaffolding ladders. Vanessa: 

So, people are kind of decorating in a way. Alexandra: 

Yes. So, they are professional rental companies  that come and install all this good stuff. 

Vanessa: Oh, okay. 

Alexandra: Yes. So, that was  

a company that I am familiar with, but I  actually use a different company in town. 

Vanessa: You could be familiar with new ones because  

the couples suggest them or bring them in. Alexandra: 

Yes. I knew of them. What I normally outsource  from rental companies are linens, tablecloths  

and napkins that come pressed and on hangers.  So, I don't have to iron or steam them as I'm- 

Vanessa: Nice. 

Alexandra: ... getting the room ready. I used to do that.  

I used to iron and steam linens for every event. Vanessa: 

That's a lot. Alexandra: 

We've upgraded to- Vanessa: 

Nice. Alexandra: 

... a company now. And once they're  dirty, because also you have to wash  

them and all. That was never my job. But  the owners of the venue had to do that.  

But now, we just roll them up, put them in  a laundry bag and leave them for pickup. 

Vanessa: So much easier. So often,  

people will bring in people, bring in  other vendors or choose your guy's vendors. 

Alexandra: Yes. 

Vanessa: And like you said, because you guys  

allow outside vendors, that can be a positive.  I know for me, the place that I got married,  

I ran into that too. Where, okay, well this is the  venue that I like, but we have to use all of these  

other people who they recommend as opposed to  either places I wanted or maybe places that were  

a little bit cheaper or trying to work out all  of that stuff. But the place I ended up getting  

married was really flexible like that. So, it  felt like, okay, this is a good fit because I  

can pick and choose what I want to do instead of  just using what they have. But that can be nice  

if you don't want to have to find your own  vendor for everything or maybe you don't want  

special flowers or something. You don't  have to do that if they don't require it. 

So, you said that you help recommend  places. They recommend places. And then  

what happens after that? Or I guess we should go  back. How far in advance does this usually happen? 

Alexandra: Anywhere from  

a year and a half to three months.  It depends on the couple and their  

situation. If they are expanding their  family, if they are in the military. 

Vanessa: Okay, pressing things happening. 

Alexandra: Yeah. If they're moving. There  

are so many things that can happen that might  not force you, but require a quicker wedding. 

Vanessa: Sure. 

Alexandra: Sometimes, it's venue availability. Venues will  

give deals where three months out, we have this  Saturday open. We're going to give out a deal if  

anybody would like to book it short notice. Vanessa: 

Okay. How did you enjoy that conversation with  Alexandra? Was it a little fast, a little tricky?  

Well now, you are going to go onto the vocabulary  lesson where my husband, Dan, and I will explain  

some key expressions that you heard in the  conversation so that you can use them yourself.  

You'll also see a short clip from the conversation  with Alexandra so that you can remember it from  

the original context as well. Let's go. The first expression that we're going to  

talk about is "to go down a path or a road."  Is this talking about literally walking down a  

path or a road? Dan: 

Well obviously, it could be about a- Vanessa: 

It could be. Dan: 

... literal path. I'm going  down that path. See you later. 

Vanessa: Yeah. But that's not what  

we're talking about here. Dan: 

No. Vanessa: 

We're talking about this in a more figurative way.  If you imagine the road of life. On the road of  

life, you have a lot of different options.  You could take this road or this path or  

you could go any direction. So, when you choose to  go down that path, you're just making a decision  

about what you're going to do in life. It  doesn't have to be for the rest of your life,  

but it could be a decision to study ceramics  and baking, like what Alexandra did,  

or a decision to get married. You're going  down that path. How would you use this? 

Dan: Yeah. And I think  

going down that path implies that it's a really  big decision and that it would be difficult to  

change course. So, if you imagine walking down  a road or driving down a road for a long time,  

and then if you want to go on a different path,  you have to turn around and it takes a long time.  

So, it's a big decision that impacts your life. So, for example, you might even say it's in a  

sense of what you didn't do. For example, we  didn't do many drugs growing up. I just said  

many. We didn't really do any drugs- Vanessa: 

No. Dan: 

... growing up. But this expression  is often used for things like that. 

Vanessa: Bad decisions. 

Dan: Right. So, I decided not to go down the path  

of drugs or I didn't do any drugs. I didn't go  down that road. So, it could even be just one  

decision that would be really impactful. But it's  often used for other things like, say, college.  

I thought about going to this university,  but I decided not to go down that road. 

Vanessa: I feel like we do.  

You can use it in a positive way like Alexandra  said, I went down that path. But we often use it  

for decisions we decided not to make. So- Dan: 

Sure. Vanessa: 

... I decided not to do drugs. I didn't want to go  down that path, or I decided not to get married. I  

decided not to go down that road. Road and path  here have the exact same meaning. You can use  

either one. So, for decisions that you decided  not to make, especially big decisions that could  

really change your life. You can use this lovely  expression. All right. Let's watch the clip so you  

can see how it was used. Alexandra: 

Yes. So, ceramics and baking, I saw the  connection and I kind of went down that path  

at the same time. I kind of went down  that path at the same time. I kind of  

went down that path at the same time. Dan: 

The next expression is "combo" or "combination."  And this just means many things joined together.  

Or when you say combo, I think it actually  means more so that things go together well.  

So, you can use combo for people even. Vanessa and  I, we're a great combo. Well, if you say we are a  

great combo, that means that we do things together  really well. We get along. We help each other. 

Vanessa: Yeah. I feel like this has a different nuance  

than the word combination. So, with the word  combination, you're just thinking about two things  

or maybe more coming together. Okay. That's just  kind of simple, but the deeper meaning with combo  

is that they come together and work well together. Dan: 

Yeah, works well together. Vanessa: 

Yeah. So, if we said we are a good combo, okay.  That means that we are a good couple or we work  

well together. You can also say this for studying  English. You might say, wow, the internet and  

English are a great combo because you can learn so  much on the internet because of the advent of the  

internet. There's so much more that we can learn.  So, the internet and education are a great combo. 

Dan: Oh, yeah. 

Vanessa: You can use it a lot. 

Dan: You can use this for food as well.  

It's quite often used for food. In fact, if you go  to a fast-food restaurant, they'll actually call  

one of the meals a combo meal. Vanessa: 

Like fast-food restaurants? Dan: 

Yeah. Fast-food usually. So, it's not really an  upper-class kind of word. You wouldn't really say  

wine and the steak is a great combo. You could say  it. But you wouldn't really sound fancy enough,  

I don't think. It's a very casual expression  if you're going to use it with food. 

Vanessa: Yeah. I think if you went to a fancy restaurant,  

they might say something like- Dan: 

Here's your combo meal. Vanessa: 

No, they would never say that. That's something  you hear maybe at McDonald's. But if you go to a  

fancy restaurant, they might be more likely  to say, oh yes. If you order this steak,  

it goes well with this wine. So, they might  be more inclined to use a longer expression.  

It goes well with instead of, oh, it's a good  combo with this wine. It feels a little bit too  

fast-food-like. Dan: 

Yeah, yeah. I think I've also heard this  with products. If you get two things in one  

package, oh, you get a combo pack. Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. So, a combo pack, yeah. Dan: 

A combo pack. These batteries plus electric  car. I don't know, something like that. 

Vanessa: Wow, in a package, you get an electric car. 

Dan: A remote control car, that's what I meant. 

Vanessa: Okay. Sure. So, two things that go  

together. I recommend for all of these vocabulary  words, checking out the lesson guide because  

you're going to see all of the sample sentences  that we talked about. Sometimes, there's a lot of  

nuance to these expressions, like we're talking  about with combo. Maybe you thought you understood  

combination, and then we're throwing at you,  combo. So, you want to really understand it  

in a different way. So, make sure you check  out the lesson guide, which is available on  

the course website. It's like a mini textbook  each month. You can check out the definition,  

sample sentences. It's a good way to get a  deeper meaning. All right, let's watch the clip. 

I could imagine that. So, she's got that image  in her mind of how she wants it to look. And he's  

like, that's how I want it to taste. So, that's  a good combo. They're working together to decide  

the best cake. So, that's a good combo. They're  working together to decide the best cake. So,  

that's a good combo. They're working  together to decide the best cake. 

The next expression is "the other side." How  could we talk about this in a literal way,  

the other side? Dan: 

Well, for example, you might have a coin. It's a  very common other side thing because there's only  

two sides to a coin. So, you could say flip it  over to the other side. That means it's not the  

side you're looking at right now. Vanessa: 

Yeah. Or go to the other side of  the road. The restaurant is on  

the other side of the road. This is the  literal meaning. It's the opposite side.  

But if we want to use this in a figurative  way, which we use this all the time, if I said,  

yeah, I kind of want to see the other side  of the story before I make a decision.  

What would that mean to you? Dan: 

Yeah. So, this means that you heard  something from somebody or you read something  

somewhere. Let's say you're going to a restaurant  and you read a bad review about the restaurant.  

Well, you just read one review. So, you might  say, I'd like to see the other side of the story.  

And maybe it was from somebody who had a  bad order, or you want to read something  

from somebody who had a good experience  as well and kind of compare and contrast. 

Vanessa: Yeah. So, this is the  

same idea that it's the opposite, but it's just  in a figurative way. The other side of the story.  

If you have two kids and one kid comes to you and  says, mom, my brother did this and he did this.  

You might say, well, I want to hear the other side  of the story before I make a decision. And so,  

you ask the brother, what happened? I want to  hear your side and your side. Two opinions. 

Dan: It's not always so specific either. You could say  

maybe we live in a Western culture and you  want to learn about an Eastern culture. So,  

we used to live in South Korea. So, we kind of  got to see the other side of these broad cultures,  

but we would not necessarily say "of these broad  cultures." We would say, yeah, we got to see the  

other side of things. Vanessa: 

Oh, yeah. Using a general term like that. Dan: 

Then give more context as  you have the conversation. 

Vanessa: Yeah. Like,  

oh, it was really interesting to live in Korea  because we got to see the other side of life or  

the other side of... I mean, it's technically  the other side of the world. But we could also  

say that in a cultural context. Yeah, get to  see the other side or how the other side lives. 

You can also use this to talk about rich versus  poor. If you want to visit a community that's  

a lot different than yours, you might say, yeah,  I think it's always good to visit the other side  

to have a good perspective on life. Maybe there's  some people in your community who are poor and  

you want to help them. And you want to broaden  your perspective. You might say, yeah, I try to  

help out the other side when I can. And it  helps me to just be grateful in life or be  

a better person. So, there's a lot of figurative  ways that you can use this. I think it's a really  

useful expression to add to your vocabulary. So,  you've done it. All right. Let's watch the clip. 

I didn't always have that dream to have the  perfect plan. So, maybe I was a little too  

hands off. Maybe they would've liked if I  would've been living in the same country,  

but it's really interesting to hear the other  side of it cause I'm sure not everyone was like me  

in that sense. It's really interesting to hear  the other side of it. It's really interesting to  

hear it the other side of it. Dan: 

The next expression is "coordinate" or a  "coordinator." And this is either to organize  

something and not just one thing. It's many things  together in harmony. And a coordinator is a person  

who does this, who coordinates things. So, in  many businesses, you'll actually hear they have  

a coordinator or they have coordinate... Vanessa: 

Marketing coordinator. Dan: 

Yeah, yeah. Event coordinator, meaning  that they are contacting the right people.  

They're writing a schedule and they are organizing  things so everything works in harmony without a  

lot of mistakes. So, this would be to coordinate  an event or the coordinator helped organize  

the event. Vanessa: 

Yeah. I feel like this is also sometimes  like a natural trait. Some people are natural  

coordinators and some people aren't. So, when  you have someone who's a natural coordinator,  

that means that they kind of naturally like to  organize things and are good at seeing visually in  

their mind how all of those pieces come together. So, for example, if you were to have a business  

meeting and you needed to have people from  the Tokyo branch, people from the Shanghai  

branch, people from the sole branch, all coming  together to have a meeting, well, the coordinator  

would have to do a lot of work to make sure  that everyone's arriving at the same time,  

everything's working out well. So, we could use  the verb and say he or she has to coordinate  

all of the schedules to fit together. So, we could  say the coordinator coordinates the schedules.  

There's a lot of coordinating going on here. Dan: 

And I think this is not really used casually  very often. It's a pretty formal expression.  

You'll hear this a lot at work. Although  sometimes, people, I think, will say  

we have to coordinate our schedules. Vanessa: 

I feel like that's the most typical. Dan: 

That's the most typical way to use  it in just your daily home life. 

Vanessa: Yeah. I feel like we can  

use this for a home though. If you have older kids  who have soccer practice, then they have to go to  

the theater practice, well, you need to coordinate  everyone's schedules. Because if they can't drive,  

if they have no way to get there, you got to  make sure that you can take them and that you  

have the availability to do that. So, coordinating  schedules within a home is also a good way to use  

this. It's still schedules. So, it's kind of that  organization aspect, but it could be organizing  

something at home or organizing something  at work. Could you use this to talk about  

visual elements, like coordinating colors? Dan: 

Oh, yes. Coordinating colors, right. That means  making them work in harmony. It's the same kind of  

thing. So, that's more of an artistic expression.  In the kind of same sense, we use this in sports  

a lot of times. They drove in coordination. For  example, if the two cars are driving and they're  

doing the exact same thing or in- Vanessa: 

In coordination. Dan: 

... in coordination. Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. Dan: 

Right. Or they coordinated their movements Vanessa: 

So, that they could be together. I feel  like for you and me, our difference is that  

I don't have a skill of coordinating  colors in a room or designs and patterns  

in a room. Dan: 

I'm better at that? Vanessa: 

Yeah. You care about it more at least. Dan: 

I care about it, yeah. Vanessa: 

So, when we were moving into this house, Dan  thought about where the rug would look best,  

where the couch would look best, where the artwork  would look best. He wanted to coordinate the room  

or coordinate the colors and the textures and the  different shapes to make it work well together,  

work in harmony so we can use it in that kind of- Dan: 

What can I say? Vanessa: 

... figurative sense. Dan: 

I'm an interior designer. Vanessa: 

Yes. Dan: 

Well, I will say too. There's also another meaning  for coordinate that we didn't think about yet. And  

that's, you're coordinated. Vanessa: 

Oh, okay. This is still the  same idea of harmony though. 

Dan: It's the same  

idea. But if you are coordinated,  that means you have good balance,  

right? You don't fall down a lot. Vanessa: 

Maybe you're good at sports. Dan: 

You're good at sports, right? Yeah. You're very  skilled physically at keeping balance and doing  

things very precisely. Vanessa: 

Yeah. So, for example, if you go skiing, you have  to be coordinated. You have to move your feet  

and your arms and the skis and the  poles at the same time. You have to  

move your body at the right time. You have to be  physically coordinated, with an ed at the end. 

Dan: And that's how we always say,  

she's coordinated. He's coordinated. Vanessa: 

Or he is not coordinated. I'm not  coordinated. So, I can't do that. Or, yeah,  

I'm relatively coordinated. I'll give it a try.  So, there's a lot of different ways to use this,  

but they all kind of have that similar thread of  something in harmony, working together in harmony.  

All right. Let's take a look at the clip and make  sure you check out the lesson guide to see all of  

these sample sentences. Alexandra: 

There's a wedding planner. There's also  a role called the day of coordinator. 

Vanessa: Oh. Day of coordinator,  

like the day of the wedding? Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

Okay. Alexandra: 

So, there's also a role called the day of  coordinator. There's also a role called the  

day of coordinator. Vanessa: 

The next expression is "the day of." Now, I know  sometimes prepositions can be a little bit tricky.  

And the word "of" is a preposition. So, let's  first talk about two expressions that go on either  

side of this. If we talk about the day before  and the day after, what comes in the middle?  

It's the day of. Dan: 

Right. Okay. Vanessa: 

So here, we're talking about the day  that an event happens. It's the day  

of the event and there's a couple different ways  that we can grammatically use this expression. So,  

we're going to try to open your mind, open your  eyes to all of these different ways. But of  

course, feel free to check out the lesson guide. So, if I said, oh right, it's the day of the  

new lesson set. My students are going to receive  the wedding lesson set with Alexandra today. So,  

I need to check online to make sure all the links  and everything are working. It's the day of the  

new lesson set. Yeah. What would that mean to you? Dan: 

That means it's today. Vanessa: 

Yep. I'm- Dan: 

It's now. Vanessa: 

... giving you the lessons at today. Dan: 

It's the day of. I think this  expression is a little more formal  

sounding to me. It's not something you really  would just say to somebody else, unless you're  

telling a story about the past. So, it was the  day of our wedding and it was raining outside. 

Vanessa: Yeah. There's always an event.  

That's true. It was raining. Dan: 

And that's actually true. At our wedding, it  started raining right as I was setting up chairs  

with my friend. And it just started downpour on us  30 minutes before our wedding. I was soaking wet  

and we had to move everything  inside, but it all worked out. 

Vanessa: Yeah. We could even change the word  

"day" to something else. So, for example, that  morning, we could say the morning of the wedding,  

Dan called me and said, Vanessa, I know we plan  to get married outside, but it's raining. So,  

are you okay if we move the chairs inside so that  all of our guests don't have to sit in the rain?  

So, the morning of the wedding. So, we got that  event here. Are there any ways that we could use  

this in a different grammatical context? Dan: 

Yeah. We could actually just  say it by itself. The day of. 

Vanessa: Yeah. Especially if we're talking  

about something that happens in the future. So,  if you're planning on getting some special family  

portraits taken, well, the photographer's probably  not going to come a couple days in advance and  

check out the area and make sure the lighting's  good. They're probably just going to show up  

the day of. So, you could say the photographer's  coming the day of. There's nothing that happens  

at the end of that sentence. You didn't say the  photographer's coming the day of our photography  

shoot. No, you could just cut off that part,  especially because we already have the context. 

When's he coming? He's coming the day of. Or if  you're having a big Christmas party, I know it's  

not Christmas time right now. But if you're  having, how about, a big summer party, well,  

you might be thinking about the things  that you need to do to plan for the party.  

And okay, we need to do these things beforehand.  We need to do these things beforehand,  

but I think I'm probably going to put  water in the swimming pool the day of.  

We're going to set out the bubbles the day of.  These are things you do for kid's summer parties.  

But these are things that  you're going to do the day of. 

Dan: Yeah. Or if maybe family is arriving,  

you might want to know when they're going to  get there for the party. Are they coming a day  

before? Are they coming a day, two days before?  No, they might say, oh, we'll come the day of. 

Vanessa: Yep. Just the day of. 

Dan: And they could say the day of the party, but  

you could say either one. Vanessa: 

Yeah, that's very common. All right, let's  watch the clips. You can see how this was used. 

Alexandra: Because if the wedding and the day of events  

don't go smoothly, it actually makes the  venue look bad. If the wedding and the day  

of events don't go smoothly. If the wedding  and the day of events don't go smoothly. 

Dan: The next expression is to escort  

or be in escort. So, this means that you are  accompanying somebody to an event. And this is  

almost always a formal event. And oftentimes, it's  if you're protecting somebody or if you are taking  

somebody away and they're maybe going to jail. So,  a lot of times it's for situations where somebody  

has a weapon. So, this is the police escort,  meaning that they are going to protect this person  

or they are going to keep this person from getting  away. But it doesn't have to be that. Oftentimes,  

we use it for weddings as a matter of fact.  So, John will be her escort at the wedding,  

meaning he's going to walk her down the aisle. Vanessa: 

Usually, you walk like this. Dan: 

They're going to sit at the table together.  It doesn't necessarily mean that they're  

in a relationship or anything like that. It  just means that they are formally arranged to  

go together in this situation. Vanessa: 

I feel like it also kind of implies that one  person has a little more strength or like you were  

saying, protection, than the other person. Dan: 

Yeah. So, it's often used for men. Vanessa: 

Yeah. So, when you are talking  about the conversation in a wedding,  

usually at least in a wedding in the US, when the  parents of the bride and the parents of the groom  

walk down the aisle to go to their  seats, usually they sit in the front.  

There is usually someone, usually a guy, who  escorts them down the aisle. So someday, when our  

son gets married, that happens. Then probably,  someone will escort me down the aisle. And that  

means that I will take their arm and we  will walk together. And it kind of has the  

sense that the other person is just looking out  for me, making sure that I am walking safely. 

Dan: Hey, don't touch her. 

Vanessa: It's a formal situation. 

Dan: Oh, that wouldn't happen at a wedding.  

That'd be if I was a bodyguard. Vanessa: 

Yes, but we can also use it in the sense of  a bodyguard. Maybe if there's a celebrity,  

a celebrity probably has an escort or a police  escort or secret service escort, depending on  

how important they are. Someone who is watching  out for them, they're always accompanying them  

and watching out for them. If I said  the police escorted him to jail,  

what would that mean to you? Dan: 

That means they took him to jail. Vanessa: 

Yep. So, that policeman is the one who's the  one... he's not really protecting the criminal,  

but he's the one in power. Dan: 

I mean, he kind of is. Yeah. It's interesting  because escort does run from weddings to jail. 

Vanessa: You could use it in a lot of different situations,  

but it still has that sense that one person has  more power or is protective and they're taking  

someone else somewhere. Dan: 

Yeah. And notice it is the noun in the verb. So,  in the wedding situation, John escorted me down  

the aisle. He's an escort. Vanessa: 

My escort escorted me down the aisle. So, we  can use it in both of those ways. All right,  

let's check out the clips. You  can see how this was used in the  

wedding sense. Alexandra: 

It was his mother. And we said, all right,  you'll escort mom down before the ceremony truly  

starts. You'll escort mom down before the ceremony  truly starts. You'll escort mom down before the  

ceremony truly starts. Vanessa: 

The next expression is "to upgrade." To upgrade.  And this just means that you are getting something  

better. You're getting a better service. You are  upgraded to first class even though you didn't pay  

for it. Somehow, we were magically upgraded to  first class on the flight. So, this is raising  

up to another level. Dan: 

It may also mean you're replacing something  with something better. For example, nowadays  

people upgrade their phones all the time. So, that  doesn't mean that you're taking the same phone and  

making it better. That means you're just getting  rid of that phone and getting a better one,  

supposedly better. Vanessa: 

Yeah. That's debatable. Dan: 

Upgrading. Vanessa: 

The company would like you to think  that you're upgrading your phone. 

Dan: Yes. 

Vanessa: So, in the conversation with Alexandra,  

she said that she used to be the one who steamed  and ironed all the linens. This is a really manual  

job. It's kind of grunt work. It's difficult to  do this. And it's not really her job title. She's  

a coordinator. She's a planner. She's not the  steamer and the ironer. So, she said that now  

that the company has more money and they have more  resources, they have upgraded to a linen company.  

So now, they can outsource that skill and someone  else can do it, someone who does that all the time  

and who has all of the facilities to be able to  do that. They've upgraded to another company. 

We could even say this in  the Fearless Fluency Club.  

First of all, I hope that you are upgrading your  English. But also, I used to edit these videos.  

And now, Dan edits them. So, we have upgraded. Dan: 

Am I an upgrade? Vanessa: 

You are an upgrade. Dan: 

From you? Vanessa: 

Well, I hope that the quality  is at least the same for all  

of you. Dan: 

So, at least we get an upgrade in time. Vanessa: 

Yes. Our time has been upgraded. Dan: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

But I think that's one way that you can upgrade by  changing from one person to the next or by using  

a different service. Dan: 

Yeah. You can also use this for situations  sometimes. So, let's say you changed jobs.  

And you didn't like your other job, but you like  this job better. You could say it's an upgrade.  

This job is an upgrade. But often it's just, it's  an upgrade, describing something as being better  

than the thing you had before. Vanessa: 

Would you say that working on the Fearless  Fluency Club is an upgrade from your previous  

job? Dan: 

I would say definitely, yes. I mean the other job  was fine, but it's hard to beat working with your  

wife, spending time with your children. Vanessa: 

Yeah. That's kind of- Dan: 

It's a beautiful thing. Vanessa: 

... the ideal life right there. All right.  Let's watch the clips so that you can see  

how to use upgrade. Alexandra: 

I used to iron and steam linens for every event. Vanessa: 

That's a lot. Alexandra: 

We've upgraded to a company now. We've upgraded  to a company now. We've upgraded to a company now. 

Dan: The next expression is "in  

advance." And this means the same thing as ahead  of time or beforehand. For example, we're going to  

Europe this year. Hopefully, we're going to Europe  soon. And we need to plan that trip in advance.  

We can't just go to Europe and expect for  everything to work out fine, especially with two  

small, tiny children. So, we need to plan in  advance, which means before the event. It's kind  

of the opposite of day of. Vanessa: 

Yeah, it's the opposite. You need to do  something in advance, ahead of time. And  

for all of these sentences, it's kind of a two for  one expression because you can use ahead of time  

exactly in the same way as in advance. So, if we  said, we need to plan our vacation in advance,  

you could also say, we need to plan our  vacation ahead of time. And time there is  

just talking about the time of our vacation. So usually, I tell all of you because I have  

the live lessons in our private Facebook group  every Sunday. I say, okay, next Sunday, we're  

talking about the grammar lesson. So, I want you  to hopefully study the grammar lesson in advance.  

When you study the grammar lesson in advance and  you watch that lesson, look at the phrasal verbs.  

You're going to be prepared for the live lesson  and just kind of have a better feeling for what's  

going on. So, doing something in advance just  means in advance, before the event happens. 

Dan: And you often say this in a question as well.  

How far in advance do you need something? Maybe  you're at your job. You need to write a paper,  

a research paper before there's a big event.  So, you could say, how far in advance do you  

need these papers done? Which means how far before  whatever event is taking place do you need this? 

Vanessa: Can I ask you a personal question? 

Dan: Sure. 

Vanessa: What are some things... because we're  

talking about weddings this month and this is our  10-year wedding anniversary this month on August  

21st, right? Dan: 

Yeah. Vanessa: 

What are some things that you think a couple  should talk about in advance before they get  

married? This is a huge question. Dan: 

Pretty much everything. You need to know  everything about somebody in advance  

before you marry them. Vanessa: 

Okay. Do you think we did that? Dan: 

Not everything but we knew each other really well. Vanessa: 

Yeah. We were still pretty young, but we had  been dating for five years or something. So,  

you know a lot about each other at that point. Dan: 

Yeah. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what  exactly you need to know in advance. 

Vanessa: I think talking about what your dreams are  

for life, talking about different roles in the- Dan: 

Children. Vanessa: 

... relationship, talking about children. Dan: 

You should talk about how many  children you want in advance. 

Vanessa: Sure. 

Dan: That could become a sticking point,  

which you'll find out about later. Vanessa: 

Oh, in this lesson, great. So, we can talk  about, yeah, I think especially those big ideas,  

those maybe ingrained ideas about your roles. Dan: 

Yes. Children. Vanessa: 

About expectations. Dan: 

How you're going to be as a father or a mother.  

Also, just husband and wife, what your  roles at the house are going to be,  

just kind of feel out what these expectations are. Vanessa: 

Yeah. I think these are all great  things to talk about in advance,  

especially if you don't want any surprises  later. There's always going to be some surprises,  

but it's good to have those deep conversations  in advance. Probably, well in advance. 

Dan: Oh, well in advance. 

Vanessa: That means much more in advance. 

Dan: Yeah. Not the day before the wedding. 

Vanessa: Yeah, not the day of the wedding.  

So, what are your thoughts about the roles of a  man and a woman? Not a good idea the day of the  

wedding, but in advance. Dan: 

Can I make a list of chores I want you to do? Vanessa: 

Not a good thing to say the day of  the wedding. But this is a good thing  

that you can do before an event, especially  before you get married, but before any event.  

All right. Let's talk about the clips so  that you can see how it was originally used. 

You said that you help recommend  places. They recommend places. And then  

what happens after that? Or I guess we should go  back. How far in advance does this usually happen?  

How far in advance does this usually happen?  How far in advance does this usually happen? 

The next expression is "short notice." Dan: 

Short notice. We have a lot of time expressions in  this. Maybe it has something to do with weddings  

and planning. Vanessa: 

Yeah. There's a lot of time sensitive things that  happen. But when you give someone short notice,  

it means that you're telling them not very  far in advance, like the expression we just  

talked about. But you're telling them maybe the  day of or you're telling them the day before. 

Dan: Yeah, that would be really short notice. 

Vanessa: Yeah. Well, it depends  

on what the activity is. So, if you tell someone,  oh yeah, I can come to your dinner party tomorrow.  

And then the day before, you call them and say,  oh, I'm sorry. I'm feeling so bad. I can't come.  

I'm sorry for the short notice. Dan: 

Yeah. And if you're using this expression, it  always means that it's an inconvenience. Yeah.  

You're doing something that somebody would want  more notice, which means you tell them earlier.  

So, it either takes a lot of planning or  maybe they want to clean their house. So,  

a lot of times, we use this with friends or  family. This would happen to us. You want to  

go to your mother's house so she can watch your  child, for example. You would say, I'm sorry,  

this is short notice, but can we come over  tonight? And we can stay the night and you  

can watch our son Theo and Freddy. And that  would be short notice to do it the day of. 

Vanessa: Yeah. 

Dan: The day of. 

Vanessa: The day of, yeah. All of these  

expressions just come together. Dan: 

They come together. Vanessa: 

Yeah. I think that this expression is also  linked with a common workplace expression,  

which is two weeks notice. If I went to  my boss, hypothetical boss, and I said... 

Dan: She's the boss. 

Vanessa: If I said, if I was  

working in a typical company or any business that  has a boss and I went to him and said, I'm sorry,  

but I'm giving my two weeks notice. I found  another job offer. What would giving my two weeks  

notice or putting in my two weeks notice mean? Dan: 

That means that you are quitting your job,  but you're going to work for two more weeks. 

Vanessa: Yes. This is the typical. I don't  

know if it's actually a legal thing. Dan: 

But it's not really short notice. Vanessa: 

It's not that short. Dan: 

Because that's kind of commonly accepted. Vanessa: 

Yeah. But it's still using that same term, notice,  that you're telling your boss, okay, I am quitting  

after two weeks, but you have two weeks to find a  replacement, to help hire someone. So typically,  

in an American workplace, it is polite. I don't  know if it's legally required, but it's at least  

polite to give two weeks notice before you quit.  Even if you work at a different type of job,  

Dan's worked at coffee shop jobs a lot in the  past. And you probably gave two weeks notice. 

Dan: Yeah. I think- 

Vanessa: Just to be polite. 

Dan: ... it's mostly courtesy. 

Vanessa: Yeah. It's for courtesy, just to be  

polite. So, that's telling someone, take note, I  will be leaving soon. Or this is short notice. So,  

I hope that all of these expressions kind of  come together. All right, let's watch the clips  

so that you can see how it's used. Alexandra: 

Venues will give deals where three  months out, we have this Saturday open.  

We're going to give out a deal if anybody would  like to book at short notice. We're going to give  

out a deal if anybody would like to book at short  notice. We're going to give out a deal if anybody  

would like to book at short notice. Vanessa: 

How did you enjoy that vocabulary lesson?  Well, now, it's time to move onto grammar,  

phrasal verbs. You will learn how to integrate  these phrasal verbs into your daily conversations.  

In the full Fearless Fluency Club course, there  are also clips from movies, TV shows, and songs  

to give more examples. But unfortunately, here  on YouTube, because of copyright problems,  

I cannot show them to you publicly. But if you  join the full course, you will see many more  

examples from lots of sources. And if the editing  in this video seems a little strange, that's why.  

I had to cut those out. All right. Let's get  started and learn some important phrasal verbs. 

The first frail verb that we're going to talk  about has three meanings. It is the phrasal verb  

"to come through." We're going to talk about just  the first meeting here and then we'll go to the  

extra material section. If I said coming through. Dan: 

Coming through. Vanessa: 

Just this phrasal verb, coming  through, what would that mean to you? 

Dan: Yeah. If you say that just by itself,  

that means that you need to get through a room  and you need people to move out of your way.  

This is not a polite thing to say. If you say  coming through, that kind of says that you can't  

really stop or you really don't want to stop. Vanessa: 

There's an emergency. Dan: 

There's an emergency. Vanessa: 

Get out of the way. Dan: 

So, let's say when Vanessa was pregnant and she  was having Freddy and she was going into labor.  

If I'm walking with Vanessa to some place and  she's in labor, I would say, "Coming through.  

Pregnant lady here." Vanessa: 

So, you were telling everyone to clear  out of the way because we can't stop. 

Dan: Yeah. Exactly. 

Vanessa: We're just going. We can also use this to talk  

about, it's the idea of going from one location  to another. If you say, just coming through,  

like Dan said, it usually implies some kind of  emergency. But you could say, for example, if  

you're on a road trip or you're driving, you could  say it was raining when we came through the city.  

That's not an emergency. It's not that same coming  through situation. Yeah. It's just when we were  

driving through, when we were coming through the  city, it was raining. Okay. You're simply passing  

from one location to another. Dan: 

Yeah. We also use this in other physical senses  too. For example, if you have a phone call,  

you could say, yeah, you're coming  through well. Or more likely, you'd say,  

yeah, she's not coming through, meaning  her voice is not getting through the phone. 

Vanessa: So here, we're talking about the voice waves- 

Dan: The signal. 

Vanessa: ... passing from one location to another. It's  

not necessarily you are going from one location  to another, but there's still that idea of,  

yeah, you're not coming through, if it's  really scratchy. You're not coming through. 

Dan: We also use this for payments  

or maybe if you have insurance and you've got  the payment or reimbursement for something.  

And you can say, the payment came through. Vanessa: 

Yes, yes. So, if you're asking for a refund,  you might contact the company and say, yeah,  

the refund didn't come through yet. That means  the payment money didn't come from the company  

to you. Passing from one- Alexandra: 

Passing through. Vanessa: 

... location to another. So, it could be in that  literal, maybe a little bit more figurative sense.  

All right, let's go to the extra materials so  that you can see how this is used in a different  

context. In this extra material section for the  first meeting of the phrasal verb to come through,  

we're going to take a look at five clips. One's  from the conversation with Alexandra. Three  

are from TV shows. And the final one's  from a song. Let's start with Alexandra. 

This was actually a phrasal verb that I said.  I said, wow, five years. You've had a lot of  

couples come through, lots of experiences. Because  she's been working in the industry for five years,  

she has had a lot of experiences. She's met a lot  of different couples. And when I used the phrasal  

verb, come through, I'm talking about as if she  had a program, coming through her program. They've  

started and said, okay, we want to get married  or we are getting married and we want to have  

a wedding and we want you to plan it. And then  she's helped them throughout the entire process  

to reach the other side. So, there's not a  physical destination in this situation, but  

she's helping them get from one place, wanting to  have a wedding, to having a wedding and hopefully,  

it being successful. So, they have come through. Five years. So, you've had a lot of couples  

come through. Alexandra: 

Yes. Vanessa: 

Lots of experiences. I'm curious. So,  you've had a lot of couples come through. 

Alexandra: Yes. 

Vanessa: Lots of experiences.  

So, you've had a lot of couples come through. 

Alexandra: Yes. 

Vanessa: Lots of experiences. 

The second meaning for "to come through" is to win  or achieve something or to be seen as a success.  

So, if I said, wow, the team really came  through last night. What would that mean to you? 

Dan: That means that they won, but  

it kind of implies that there was a struggle.  They had to work really hard to do it. They  

came through. They faced adversity, but  they fought hard and they came through. 

Vanessa: Yeah. What if I said,  

my mom always comes through for me? Dan: 

This is actually a little different. It's not  necessarily winning something. It just means that  

she helps you. Vanessa: 

She's perceived as a success. She's reliable. Dan: 

She's succeeded in helping you. My mom always  comes through for me. She always is there when  

I need help. Vanessa: 

Yeah. So, if you are baking something and you need  a couple extra eggs, okay, you know you can call  

your mom and say, hey mom, can you pick up some  eggs before you come to my house? You can rely  

on her. She's seen as a success. My mom always  comes through for me. She is reliable. I hope that  

as a teacher, I always come through for you.  I try my best. If you ask me a question,  

I try to come through for you. Dan: 

Yeah. Do you think Vanessa comes through for you? Vanessa: 

I hope so. That's my goal. All right. Let's go  to the extra materials so you can see how this  

is used. The third meaning for "to come  through" is when an emotion is revealed.  

Maybe you're trying to hide it, but it's actually  coming through. So, if you have always loved  

your friend, Joe, and he was always dating another  girl, and then he finally broke up with that girl,  

maybe you're trying to hide your excitement. But  your excitement might come through when you say,  

oh, so are you going to start dating  again soon? Okay. Your excitement is  

coming through. It is revealed on your face,  even though you're trying to be sensitive. 

Dan: Right. Or maybe when they  

were still dating and you were jealous. Maybe  you try to just keep the jealousy inside, but  

the jealousy came through. He could tell that she  was jealous when he saw how she looked at him. 

Vanessa: Oh, okay. So, there's an emotion that's being  

revealed. And it's usually we can imagine like a  mask and that it's trying to be hidden, but it's  

actually revealed. So, the happiness came through  or maybe she was trying to seem happy after their  

breakup, but her sadness came through by the  look on her face or by the tone of her voice. 

Dan: I think a little more unusually,  

it could be used the other way too. It didn't come  through. Maybe my excitement didn't come through  

when I got the birthday present. But  really, I was excited. I was happy. 

Vanessa: So, you could use it in a negative way to say  

that my emotion was not revealed. Yeah. So, in  that situation, if someone gives you gift... 

Dan: I've had this happen to me before.  

Apparently, I don't have a good excitement face. Vanessa: 

When someone gives you a gift? Dan: 

When I get a gift. Vanessa: 

So, when someone gives Dan a gift and he opens it,  

his real feelings... Dan: 

I'm not usually like, whoa. Vanessa: 

Yeah. He has a really modest response. Dan: 

I'm like, oh, I like that. Somebody  might think that's not legit. 

Vanessa: So, maybe your true feelings don't come through.  

And it's a modest response. Yeah. So, let's check  out the extra material so that you can see how  

this phrasal verb is used in the third way. The next phrasal verb is "to branch out."  

What is a branch on a tree? Let's talk  about that physical meaning first. 

Dan: A branch is a branch. It's the long  

stick that's on a tree. Vanessa: 

Yeah. Kind of the arms of the tree. Dan: 

And it's coming out of the main trunk. Vanessa: 

Uh-huh. Yes. So, when you branch out, you're  just trying something new. Though maybe you've  

always studied Spanish your whole life, and  then you decide, you know what? I'm going to  

branch out. I'm going to study Japanese. Okay.  This is quite different. You're going off in a  

different direction. Dan: 

A new direction. Vanessa: 

You're just trying something new. I'm going to  branch out. Or it's hard to branch out sometimes  

and trying new things, especially if we've  been in the same routines for a while.  

How would you use this? Dan: 

People use it relationally sometimes too. I'm  branching out, meaning I'm not just going to  

stay home and watch TV all night. I'm going to go  visit with somebody new, or maybe I'm going to go  

to trivia night. This is something that we  used to do. Go to trivia night, join a team and  

do something new, yes, but also meet new people. Vanessa: 

Yeah. I need to branch out and do something  different. All right, let's go to the extra  

material section so that you can see how to use  "to branch out" in this lovely figurative way. 

For this extra material section, for  the lovely phrasal verb "to branch out",  

we're going to take a look at four clips.  One's from the conversation with Alexandra.  

Two are from TV shows. And the final one's  from a song. Let's start with Alexandra. 

When Alexandra was telling me about her  process of actually starting her job as  

a wedding coordinator, wedding planner, she  said that she tried other things first. And so,  

I asked her, how did you decide to branch out of  that? And I said that because we already have the  

context. But I could have said, how did you decide  to branch out of cake decorating? Or maybe in a  

totally different situation, you might say, how  did you decide to branch out of physics and into  

music? Those seem like really different  categories, but you decided to try something new,  

going on one tree branch instead of the other.  How did you decide to branch out of that? 

Like a niche in the wedding business, but  then how did you decide to branch out of that? 

Alexandra: So,  

wedding planning, I was first asked by a friend. Vanessa: 

And how did you decide to branch out of that?  And how did you decide to branch out of that? 

The next phrasal verb is "to bring together."  And you can imagine this is uniting in a  

literal or a more figurative way. So, if a  boss sends a message out to all the employees  

and he is wanting to bring everyone  together for an early morning meeting,  

you might feel a little worried. What's happening?  Why are we having a spontaneous meeting early in  

the morning? Is there a problem? Did we do  something? Is the company in trouble? When  

he brings you together, all of the employees in  the same room, he is uniting everyone in a sense.  

Bringing everyone together in a meeting. Dan: 

Yeah. That's very literal sense. But oftentimes,  bringing people together or bringing us together  

has a more emotional sense about it, that you  are getting everybody on the same page and that  

they're getting along or having a good time. Vanessa: 

Feeling the sense of unity together. Dan: 

So, you can say something like, the holidays  really bring people together. As a general term,  

meaning that people literally come together,  yes. But then they're also having a good time  

bonding together. Vanessa: 

Yeah. So, I think sometimes we see this during  natural disasters or even not natural disasters,  

like repairing a city after a war, these types  of things. These common difficult situations  

bring people together. Yes, they might be in the  same area rebuilding, but it also gives people a  

feeling of unity. I don't care if you're from a  different background, different family, different  

language, different region. The tornado brought  us together. It made us really focus on the same  

project, rebuilding the city and trying to help  people who needed water, help people who needed  

shelter. Everyone has that common goal. So,  in that sense, you're kind of bringing people  

together, unifying them emotionally. Dan: 

And we also use this in a little bit of a  different way. Not necessarily with people,  

but bringing things together or bringing it  together. So, you can actually say by itself,  

he brought it all together or he's going to bring  it all together, which means that there's a lot of  

different pieces of anything, of any situation.  And if you bring it all together, that means  

you're going to make it uniform and complete. Vanessa: 

So, maybe if one department is working on this  part of the project and other department's working  

on that part of the project, then there's a... Dan: 

There's maybe some confusion. Vanessa: 

Maybe there's a coordinator, the word we talked  about in the vocabulary lesson, who's going to  

bring it all together, who's going to figure  out how all of these pieces fit together. So,  

they're going to bring it together. And these  are just things they're bringing together.  

All right. Let's go onto the extra material  to get a deeper sense for this phrasal verb. 

In this extra material section for  the phrasal verb "to bring together,"  

we're going to take a look at four clips.  One from the conversation with Alexandra,  

two from TV shows or movies, and the final  one from a song. Let's start with Alexandra. 

Alexandra was explaining to me that it's really  complicated to plan a wedding. She called it  

performance art because there's a visual element.  There's people who are moving around. There's  

specific things they have to say. It's kind  of like theater. Sometimes we say that theater  

is performance art. She says, specifically,  in this sentence, weddings have the floral,  

the tablescapes. This was a new word for  me. Landscapes turned into tablescapes, the  

place settings, bringing that all together in one  piece. So, she's talking about physically bringing  

together the floral. So, the flowers, making  sure the tables are fine. So, the visual element,  

making sure that everything goes together. She  needs to bring together all of those pieces  

and make sure that it's visually appealing.  And it's also what the bride and groom want.  

Not just what looks good, but what they also want.  So, she needs to bring all that together so that  

it's aesthetically pleasing. Alexandra: 

Wedding might be the biggest piece of performance  art that you can possibly put together.  

It has the floral. It has the tablescapes, the  place settings, bringing that all together into  

one piece. Bringing that all together into one  piece. Bringing that all together into one piece. 

Vanessa: Were those phrasal verbs new to you? Well,  

it's time to move on to pronunciation so that you  can speak clear American English and understand  

it as well. We'll take an in depth look at a  vocabulary expression or phrasal verb that you  

already learned and break down the sentence sound  by sound so that you can say it exactly the way  

that we did in the conversation. My challenge  for you is this. Try to repeat with me during  

this pronunciation lesson. Speak out loud and  follow my directions so that you can improve  

your pronunciation. All right. Let's go. Welcome to the Fearless Fluency Club  

pronunciation lesson. Today, I want to challenge  your pronunciation skills. What we're going to do  

is we're going to focus on five sentences that  you heard in the conversation with Alexandra.  

Each sentence includes either a vocabulary  expression or a phrasal verb that you heard  

in the grammar lesson. So, I hope that you'll  be able to repeat those and remember them.  

We're going to break down each sentence in detail  so that you can sound as natural as possible. 

First, we're going to listen to the original  clip. Then I'm going to explain it. During that  

explanation period, I want you to repeat with me.  Speak out loud. I'm going to pause and I want you  

to say it by yourself. Try to be as active as  possible. And then we'll watch that clip again.  

I hope you'll be able to understand  more and you'll be able to realize,  

oh yeah, I can do that same linking. I can do  those same reductions. I got this. All right.  

Let's get started with the first clip. Alexandra: 

Yes. So, ceramics and baking, I saw the  connection and I kind of went down that path  

at the same time. I saw the connection and I  kind of went down that path at the same time.  

I saw the connection and I kind of  went down that path at the same time. 

Vanessa: In this clip, Alexandra is talking about her  

interest in ceramics and cake decorating. Well,  they're both using your hands, creating something  

beautiful. And she said, I saw the connection and  I kind of went down that path at the same time.  

So, she saw the connection between those interests  and she decided to pursue both of them at the same  

time. Let's break down this sentence so that you  can say it as quickly and as naturally as she did.  

In the beginning, she says, I saw the connection.  Connection. Make sure you have a clear shh sound.  

This is the sound we usually make when  you're trying to get a baby to fall asleep.  

So, make sure that you have  that same sound. Say it with me.  

I saw the connection. I saw the connection. I  saw the connection. And I kind of. And I kind of. 

Now, in these sentences, I've noticed that  Alexandra, she's trying to really make sure  

that we understand what she's saying. So, I've  noticed that she doesn't use some reductions  

that other native speakers do. So, if you were to  say this sentence with reductions, you would say,  

and I kinda, changing "of" to "a." You want to  say that with me? And I kinda. And I kinda. But  

she says the full phrase "kind of." So, you can  say that as well. And I kind of. And I kind of.  

You're going to see that throughout  this pronunciation lesson that Alexandra  

chooses to use the full pronunciation instead of  the reduced pronunciation. But I'm going to show  

you what the reduced pronunciation is as well  because when you hear native speakers use it,  

I want to make sure you can understand it.  All right. Let's go to the next section. 

Went down that path. Let's think about the  T at the end of two words in this section.  

Went down that path. Do you hear went down  that path? No, this is what's called a stop  

T and it's extremely common in American English  when there's a T at the end of a word and there's  

not vowels around it, we're going to make  that a stop T. So, listen carefully. Went.  

Went. My tongue is stopping at the top of my  mouth. This is the position for a T, went. But  

I'm not letting that puff of air come through.  I'm just stopping it. Went down that path. 

The same thing is happening with the word "that."  That. Can you say that part with me? Went down  

that. Went down that. And then we have the lovely  word path. Don't forget this TH at the end. I  

think THs at the beginning get a lot more practice  than THs at the end. So, words like with, path,  

mouth, those words can be tricky because you are  not really thinking about the ending of the word.  

But I want to make sure you say it correctly.  So, I want your tongue between your teeth.  

Path. And make sure there's a stream  of air. Path. Path. Let's try to  

say that full phrase. Went down that path. And then she says at the same time. At. This  

is a really short word. There's only two letters,  but unfortunately, one of them is a stop T. So,  

I want you to say at. At. At the same time. Can  you say that with me? At the same time. At the  

same time. Your tongue is just stopped at the  top of your mouth. At the same time. Let's try  

to put this full sentence together and we're also  going to practice emphasizing the correct words.  

I saw the connection. Let's emphasize the word  "connection." I saw the connection and I kind of  

went down that path at the same time. So, we're  going to be emphasizing "path" and "same time." 

Think you can say that all together with me? Don't  forget those stop Ts. Don't forget the TH at the  

end of path. You can do it. You can always take  a look at the lesson guide as well because I've  

colored each of these sections so that you can  kind of visually see what we're talking about.  

Let's say it together. I saw the connection and  I kind of went down that path at the same time.  

I saw the connection and I kind of went down  that path at the same time. Do you think you can  

say this all by yourself? Let's say it quickly one  more time, and then I'm going to pause so that you  

can say it by yourself. I saw the connection and  I kind of went down that path at the same time.  

Go ahead. It's your turn. Whew.  

Great work. All right. Let's listen to that  original clip again. And I hope that you can  

pick up the key expression, went down that path,  but also some of the other important pronunciation  

points we've mentioned. Let's listen. Alexandra: 

I saw the connection and I kind of went down that  path at the same time. I saw the connection and I  

kind of went down that path at the same time. I  saw the connection and I kind of went down that  

path at the same time. Vanessa: 

Did you hear went down that path? I hope so.  Let's go on and listen to the second sentence,  

which includes the expression "to branch  out". Like a niche in the wedding business,  

but then how did you decide to branch out of that? Alexandra: 

So, wedding planning, I was  first asked by a friend. 

Vanessa: And how did you decide to branch out of that?  

And how did you decide to branch out of that? This was actually a question that I asked,  

not Alexandra. And I asked, how did  you decide to branch out of that?  

There's some linking that's not happening here.  Just like Alexandra. I spoke pretty clearly. So,  

let's talk about the clear pronunciation  and then we're also going to talk about  

a reduced option. So, if you want to say it  in a reduced way, you can, and also so that  

you can understand it when other people do  use that. So, let's start at the beginning. 

How did you decide? Let's emphasize the word  "decide." How did you decide? How did you decide?  

How did you decide to branch out of? To  branch out of. We're emphasizing branch out,  

but something is happening here at the end of  the word "out." The next word starts with an O.  

So, our T is going to change to a D. It's going  to sound like oud of, oud of. Branch out of.  

When we change Ts to Ds, it helps the sentence to  be a little bit smoother, to flow a little better.  

You're going to see this a lot in natural  English. So, let's try to say it together.  

Branch out of. To branch out of. To branch out of. And at the end of this sentence, I said the full  

word "that." There was even a little puff  of air at the end. That. That. Unlike the  

previous sentence where we used the stop T,  that. In this sentence, I said that. Wow,  

it's kind of just a personal preference. If you  are speaking very clearly and a little bit slowly,  

maybe you're thinking about your words a little  bit more, well, you can use that full phrase.  

That. Or you can make it a stop T. So, let's try  to say it in the way that I did first. And then  

we're going to talk about a variant that's going  to use some linking and reductions. How did you  

decide to branch out of that? We're emphasizing  "decide," "branch out," and "that," kind of those  

keywords here. How did you decide to branch out  of that? How did you decide to branch out of that?  

Okay, well, that's one option.  Let's say it in a reduced way. 

Oh, we have a lovely friend. Every time I  try to film, my cats are very interested.  

We'll just let them stay there. All right.  Let's start to say this in the reduced way. 

How'd you decide to branch out of that?  How'd you decide to branch out of that?  

This is much faster. There's a lot of linking  happening. At the beginning of the sentence,  

"how did you" can be reduced to "how'd  you." How'd you. How'd you. Just how and  

d'you. How'd you, the word "did" is kind  of lost in the middle there. How'd you  

decide to branch? To branch. In the original  version, I said "to" with a clear ooh  

sound. But when we're speaking  quickly, sometimes you just say.  

Just the T sound. To branch, to branch, to branch. And then at the end, we can say outta that.  

Outta. Outta. The word "of" becomes "uh".  Kind of like we talked about before,  

kind of can become kinda. But when we're speaking  clearly, you could just say branch out of that  

with a clear "of" sound. But when we're speaking  quickly, it sounds like branch outta that,  

with a stop T. Branch outta that. Let's try to  say it in that reduced way. I know I just quickly  

went through all of that. It's not the way that I  said it in the conversation, but I want you to be  

aware of that. So, let's try to say it together  in the reduced way. How'd you decide to branch  

outta that? How'd you decide to branch outta that?  How'd you decide to branch outta that? How'd you  

decide to branch outta that? A little bit faster. All right. Let's go back to the real version that  

I used in the conversation. I'm going to say  it again clearly, and then I'm going to pause.  

You can choose which version you want to say. But  if you want to pronounce it exactly like the way  

I did in the conversation, it's a little clearer.  So, let's go back to that clear version. I said,  

how did you decide? Decide is what we're  emphasizing here. How did you decide  

to branch out of that? How did  you decide to branch out of that?  

Now, it's your turn. Can you say, how did  you decide to branch out of that? Go ahead. 

Great work. All right. Let's watch the original  clip and I want you to listen for all of those  

times that I spoke pretty clearly. Listen  for that final out of that. Let's listen. 

And how did you decide to branch out of that?  And how did you decide to branch out of that?  

And how did you decide to branch out of that? Are your pronunciation muscles warmed up? I hope  

so. In the Fearless Fluency Club, along with  vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation lessons,  

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And now, I have a question for you. If you're  married, was your wedding big or small?  

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